Serotonin transporter gene polymorphism and psychiatric disorders: is there a link?

Though still in infancy, the field of psychiatric genetics holds great potential to contribute to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic options to treat these disorders. Among a large number of existing neurotransmitter systems, the serotonin system dysfunction has been implicated in many psychiatric disorders and therapeutic efficacy of many drugs is also thought to be based on modulation of serotonin. Serotonin transporter gene polymorphism is one of the most extensively studied polymorphisms in psychiatric behavioral genetics.

Association between serotonin transporter gene promoter-region polymorphism and 4- and 12-week treatment response to sertraline in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Background: We examined the association between serotonin transporter (5HTTLPR) genotype (SS vs SL vs LL) and sertraline treatment outcome in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Methods: Outpatients (n=330) with PTSD underwent 5HTTLPR genotyping. All patients received sertraline (100 mg/day) for 12 weeks.

Serotonin transporter gene polymorphism and treatment response to serotonin reuptake inhibitor (escitalopram) in depression: An open pilot study.

Background: Blocking of the serotonin transporter is the main mechanism of action of SSRIs; therefore, the gene encoding this protein is a strong candidate for a possible genetic influence on the treatment response.

Aim: To evaluate relationship between serotonin transporter gene promoter region polymorphism and the efficacy of SSRI (escitalopram) treatment in depression.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-seven consecutive patients with unipolar depressive episode (DSM IV criteria) were genotyped for the SERT gene polymorphism and treated with escitalopram 20 mg/day.

A study on p53 gene alterations in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and their correlation to common dietary risk factors among population of the Kashmir valley.

Aim: To systematically examine the extent of correlation of risk factors, such as age, consumed dietary habit and familial predisposition with somatic Tp53 molecular lesion causal to elevate carcinogenesis severity of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) among the Kashmiri population of Northern India.

Methods: All cases (n = 51) and controls (n = 150) were permanent residents of the Kashmir valley. Genetic alterations were determined in exons 5-8 of Tp53 tumor suppressor gene among 45 ESCC cases histologically confirmed by PCR-SSCP analysis.

Molecular cloning and genetic analysis of functional merB gene from indian isolates of Escherichia coli.

Studies were carried out to characterize organomercurial lyase genes from wild type mercury-resistant Escherichia coli isolates, previously collected from five geographically distinct regions of the Indian subcontinent. PCR amplification followed by DNA sequencing of amplified fragments showed three merB identical to the previously characterized mer B from E. coli pR831b that were thus considered as the same gene.